November 10, 2016

A new direction for US-Russia relations?

It’s not just America-centrism: Russia’s abuzz with the question of what a Trump presidency will mean for Russia. Here’s a sampling.

Russia has been bordering on pariah territory with the rest of the Western world. Some think a president who’s fond of Putin may improve U.S.-Russia relations – though that bond might also fuel some of Russia’s more authoritarian tendencies.

On the other hand, Russia – and foreign policy in general – aren’t exactly Trump’s top priority. He may look more like the kind of candidate most Russians could get behind, but the main thing many political scientists are predicting is a lot of unpredictability.

Poli sci aside, some Russian Trump fans threw celebratory parties that might look pretty familiar to red states in the U.S. These Russians see the billionaire-turned-politician as being on the front line in “the struggle between the global elite and ordinary folks.”

Still, some say that those at the top of Russian government aren’t as thrilled as you might expect: a messy election may bolster feelings of anti-Americanism, but adapting to a Trump presidency could be more complicated for Putin’s Russia than anticipated.

“We know that this will not be easy, but are ready to take this road.”
—President Vladimir Putin, in his statement congratulating president-elect Trump, on the difficult task of mending U.S.-Russia relations.

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